Attitudes Of Recently Admitted Undergraduate Medical Students Towards Learning Communication-Skills: A Cross-Sectional Study From Chitwan Medical College

Figures & data

Table 1 Characteristics Of Study Participants

Variable	Frequency %
Gender
Male	69 (69.7)
Female	30 (30.3)
Entry type
Freshmen	66 (66.7)
Old-batch	33 (33.3)
Educational Institute
Private-Boarding School	84 (84.8)
Government School	15 (15.2)
Communication-Skills Learning Attitude
Positive Attitude	52 (52.5)
Negative attitude	47 (47.5)

Table 2 Response Rate To Study Questions

SN	Study Question	Response Rate, n (%)
		Yes	No	Do Not Know
1	Do you think communication-skills are important for a physician?	51 (51.5)	24 (24.4)	24 (24.4)
2	Do you think you should be taught communication-skills as a part of your curriculum?	45 (45.5)	18 (18.2)	36 (36.4)
3	Do you think you can actually learn communication-skills?	29 (29.3)	30 (30.3)	40 (40.4)

Table 3 Distribution Of CSAS Score

SN	Statement	Response Count, n (%)
		1	2	3	4	5
1	In order to be a good doctor I must have good communication skills	4 (4.0)	2 (2.0)	1 (1.0)	2 (2.0)	90 (91.0)
2	I can't see the point in learning communication skills	59 (59.7)	33 (33.3)	3 (3.0)	1 (1.0)	3 (3.0)
3	Nobody is going to fail their medical degree for having poor communication skills	14 (14.1)	35 (35.4)	10 (10.1)	35 (35.4)	5 (5.0)
4	Developing my communication skills is just as important as developing my knowledge of medicine	2 (2.0)	2 (2.0)	3 (3.0)	28 (28.3)	64 (64.7)
5	Learning communication skills has helped or will help me respect patients	2 (2.0)	1 (1.0)	4 (4.0)	25 (25.3)	67 (67.7)
6	I haven't got time to learn communication skills	16 (16.2)	50 (50.5)	13 (13.1)	17 (17.2)	3 (3.0)
7	Learning communication skills is interesting	0	3 (3.0)	1 (1.0)	51 (51.6)	44 (44.4)
8	I cannot be bothered to turn up to sessions on communication skills	6 (6.0)	22 (22.2)	16 (16.2)	39 (39.4)	16 (16.2)
9	Learning communication skills has helped or will help facilitate my team-working skills	3 (3.0)	1 (1.0)	0	24 (24.2)	71 (71.8)
10	Learning communication skills has improved my ability to communicate with patients	2 (2.0)	0	7 (7.1)	19 (19.2)	71 (71.7)
11	Communication skills teaching states the obvious and then complicates it	8 (8.1)	40 (40.4)	27 (27.3)	19 (19.2)	5 (5.0)
12	Learning communication skills is fun	2 (2.0)	10 (10.1)	7 (7.1)	51 (51.5)	29 (29.3)
13	Learning communication skills is too easy	3 (3.0)	48 (48.5)	25 (25.3)	19 (19.2)	4 (4.0)
14	Learning communication skills has helped or will help me respect my colleagues	2 (2.0)	1 (1.0)	3 (3.0)	44 (44.4)	49 (49.6)
15	I find it difficult to trust information about communication skills given to me by non-clinical lecturers	3 (3.0)	48 (48.5)	25 (25.3)	19 (19.2)	4 (4.0)
16	Learning communication skills has helped or will help me recognize patients’ rights regarding confidentiality and informed consent	0	3 (3.0)	3 (3.0)	31 (31.3)	62 (62.7)
17	Communication skills teaching would have a better image if it sounded more like a science subject	12 (12.1)	25 (25.3)	8 (8.1)	36 (36.3)	18 (18.2)
18	When applying for medicine, I thought it was a really good idea to learn communication skills	3 (3.0)	1 (1.0)	4 (4.0)	45 (45.5)	46 (46.5)
19	I don't need good communication skills to be a doctor	75 (75.8)	20 (20.2)	1 (1.0)	0	3 (3.0)
20	I find it hard to admit to having some problems with my communication skills	6 (6.0)	28 (28.3)	17 (17.2)	39 (39.4)	9 (9.1)
21	I think it’s really useful learning communication skills in the medical degree	4 (4.0)	1 (1.0)	1 (1.0)	32 (32.3)	61 (61.7)
22	My ability to pass exams will get me through medical school rather than my ability to communicate	10 (10.1)	27 (27.3)	21 (21.2)	39 (39.4)	2 (2.0)
23	Learning communication skills is applicable to learning medicine	2 (2.0)	8 (8.1)	11 (11.1)	43 (43.4)	35 (35.4)
24	I find it difficult to take communication skills learning seriously	17 (17.2)	52 (52.5)	10 (10.1)	18 (18.2)	2 (2.0)
25	Learning communication skills is important because my ability to communicate is a lifelong skill	2 (2.0)	0	1 (1.0)	16 (16.2)	80 (80.8)
26	Communication skills learning should be left to psychology students, not medical students	68 (68.7)	26 (26.3)	2 (2.0)	1 (1.0)	2 (2.0)

Note: Response count: 1: Strongly disagree; 2: Agree; 3: neither agree nor disagree; 4: agree; 5: strongly agree. CSAS score items reproduced with permission from Rees C, Sheard C, Davies S. The development of a scale to measure medical students’ attitudes towards communication skills learning: the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS). Med Educ. 2002;36(2):141–147.⁸ © John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Table 4 Association Between Communication-Skills Learning Attitude And Participants' Characteristics

Variable	CSAS		χ^2	p-value
	Positive Attitude, n (%)	Negative attitude, n (%)
Gender			0.296	0.586
Male	35 (50.7)	34 (49.3)
Female	17 (56.7)	13 (43.3)
Entry Type			0.506	0.477
Freshmen	33 (50.0)	33 (50.0)
Old-batch	19 (57.6)	14 (42.4)
Educational Institute			0.513	0.443
Private Institute	42 (50.0)	42 (50.0)
Government Institute	10 (66.7)	5 (33.3)
Study Questions
Do you think communication-skills are important for a physician?			0.572	0.751
Yes	13 (54.2)	11 (45.8)
No	28 (54.9)	23 (45.1)
Do not know	11 (45.8)	13 (54.2)
Do you think you should be taught communication-skills as part of your curriculum?			8.859	0.012
Yes	19 (42.2)	26 (57.8)
No	7 (38.9)	11 (69.1)
Do not know	26 (72.2)	10 (27.8)
Do you think you can learn communication-skills?			0.192	0.909
Yes	16 (55.2)	13 (44.8)
No	16 (53.3)	14 (46.7)
Do not know	20 (50.0)	20 (50.0)

Abbreviation: CSAS, Communication Skills Attitude Scale.

Rees C, Sheard C, Davies S. The development of a scale to measure medical students’ attitudes towards communication skills learning: the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS). Med Educ. 2002;36(2):141–147. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2923.2002.01072.x

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